title: Aerobic, anaerobic and fungal burn wound infections.
abstract: One hundred and twenty-seven patients were studied prospectively for aerobic, anaerobic and fungal burn wound infections. All cases yielded organisms on culture. A total of 377 isolates were recovered (239 aerobes, 116 anaerobes and 22 fungi). Aerobic bacteria alone were present in 49 patients (38.6%). Anaerobic bacteria alone were present in four patients (3.2%). Candida sp. alone was present in one patient (0.8%). Mixed aerobic and/or anaerobic bacteria and/or fungi were present in 73 patients (57.5%). Fungi were isolated from 21 patients (23.9%) of 88 patients having fungal cultures. The predominant isolates recovered in descending order of frequency were: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacteroides sp., Klebsiella sp. and Peptostreptococcus sp. There were 70 patients (55.1%) infected with anaerobic bacteria. The rate of recovery of anaerobes was higher in patients with open wound dressing (72.7%) than in patients with occlusive wound dressings (41.7%), (P < 0.01). Seventeen patients presented with septic shock, 15 of them (88.2%) yielding positive anaerobic cultures. Bacteroides sp. were isolated from 14 patients with septic shock, and were recovered from the four patients who had anaerobic infection alone. These results indicate a significant role of Bacteroides sp. in burn wound sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Basrah, Iraq.
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Mousa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic; D001458:Bandages / Q000382:microbiology; D002056:Burns / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007493:Iraq / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009181:Mycoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D009779:Occlusive Dressings / Q000382:microbiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control